The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday that the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, in recognition of her peaceful struggle for democracy and human rights in Venezuela.
The announcement came after global anticipation, as former U.S. President Donald Trump had been among the rumored nominees, before the committee ultimately selected Machado.
The committee stated that Machado “embodies courage and perseverance in the face of political repression, and has contributed to defending freedom of expression and democratic choice in her country.”
The prize honors her long-standing commitment to peaceful change in Venezuela, despite restrictions and bans preventing her from running in elections.
According to the Nobel Committee, this year’s award highlights the importance of nonviolent struggle as a path toward justice and democracy.
Last year, the Japanese peace organization Nihon Hidankyo received the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to promote a world free of nuclear weapons, drawing on the testimonies of survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
During the current week in Stockholm, the winners of the Nobel Prizes in Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, and Literature were announced.
According to the will of Alfred Nobel (1833–1896), the Nobel Peace Prize, which Norway uniquely announces each year, is to be awarded “to the person or society that has done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”
The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on December 10 in Oslo, the capital of Norway, marking the anniversary of the death of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel.
